The need for higher throughput and yield in the manufacture of semiconductor devices has driven the development and use of more highly automated semiconductor wafer processing machines. Furthermore, the need to reduce particulate levels in the processing areas has demanded the use of evacuated containments in which wafer transfer occurs. In addition, it is desirable that semiconductor wafer processing machines be easily reconfigurable to suit the needs of a particular manufacturing facility. Finally, any mechanical system which is to be a part of a semiconductor wafer processing machine must be extremely reliable. This is due to the relatively high cost of down time in semiconductor fabrication facilities.
Therefore, a need exists for a wafer transport apparatus for operation in an evacuated containment system which is mechanically simple, reliable, which reduces particulate generation and which is easily adaptable to various configurations of the machine in which it operates.